Tipographica biography:
Of all the new bands that have emerged from Japan's bourgeoning underground progressive scene TIPOGRAPHICA have got to be right at the top along with HAPPY FAMILY. They are definitely in the RIO vein with noticeable shades of early HENRY COW, PICCHIO DAL POZZO and HARTFIELD & THE NORTH, (free) jazz and instrumental/classical ZAPPA ("Hot Rats", "Waka Jawaka", "The Grand Wazoo", "Studio Tan", etc.). All of the musicians are nimble, adept, and have extremely proficient control over their instruments. Blazing guitar, honking sax - super tight arrangements - brilliant muscianship. If you love mid-70's Frank ZAPPA this band will blow your mind.
TIPOGRAPHICA existed from 1986 until 1998 and who released four albums in the 90s. They play completely instrumental music, basically a rhythmically complex type of jazz-rock. If you like melodic symphonic rock or neo-prog, you probably won't like their music. RIO freaks, jazz or jazz-rock lovers, and fans of ZAPPA or complex music in general definitely should try one of their albums. Any of their four albums is a good place to start. Well, if you like exploring the progressive music, sooner or later you'll have to meet them and acquire their Canterbury inspired New Music. ESSENTIAL!!!

Review Album:
This brilliant bunch of creative music is really true masterpiece!!! Extra class musicianship, top-notch studio work, very adventurous and intelligent compositions plus perfect and juicy spectrum of sounds! I got this CD two weeks ago and cannot stop wondering about all those highest qualities of Real Cultural Shock! But - could anybody say where to get two first recordings of Tipographica (this kind of task seems to me impossible - I have heard only God Says I Can't Dance before Floating Opera and - both are essential)? Well, Japanese weird RIO-ish experimental all-instrumental jazz-rock combo having Italian-language name Tipographica was active during nineties of XX century. They released altogether four albums, first two of them are unfortunately out-of-print and impossible to get... In addition to guitar-bass-keyboards-drums they enriched their soundspectrum with saxophone and trombone, also with mokkin (xylophone of Japanese Kabuki theatre) and other percussion instruments. The music has relationship with Frank Zappa's jazz compositions, Henry Cow's instrumentals, Picchio Dal Pozzo's Abbiamo-Tutti-I-Suoi-Problemi-era, Santana's Caravanserai-Welcome-era, Mahavishnu Orchestra...and many more...and sometimes hints to Japanese folklore... Surely my all- time-favourite band among Japanese rock-releated music ever! Fave tunes? All the record is one big fave tune... But the really burning saxophone solo in Highway At Samurai Play comes into my mind. Unfortunately I have the greatest pleasure to give five stars in these progarchives- page (and everywhere in general) quite seldom. But today is probably the last this-kind- of-celebration-day in this year. Five stars really to Tipographica!!!